The effect of a negative mood priming challenge on dysfunctional attitudes, explanatory style, and explanatory flexibility

The cognitive model of depression specifies the role of schema-driven negative processing biases in the onset and maintenance of depression. Research has shown that cognitive reactivity, or the ease with which negative thinking patterns are activated by mild changes in negative mood, is related to relapse and recurrence. The goal of this study was to examine cognitive reactivity following a mood prime in individuals vulnerable to depression. Formerly (n = 28) and never (n = 36) depressed individuals were assessed on two measures of negative cognition, the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ) and Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS), before and after participating in a sad or neutral mood induction procedure (MIP). The negative mood induction resulted in increased belief in negative automatic thoughts across groups; however, only the formerly depressed participants assigned to this condition demonstrated increased DAS scores. Importantly, individuals who completed the neutral mood induction did not exhibit increases in negative cognition, providing evidence against the possibility that the MIP itself may lead to increases in negative cognition. These findings are discussed in relation to understanding the role of negative cognition and vulnerability to depression.

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Explanatory Flexibility and Explanatory Style in Treatment-Seeking Patients with Axis I Psychopathology

Cognitive Therapy and Research ◽

10.1007/s10608-015-9702-8 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 39 (6) ◽

pp. 736-743 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ryan J. Lackner ◽

Michael T. Moore ◽

Julia R. Minerovic ◽

David M. Fresco

Keyword(s):

Explanatory Style ◽

Treatment Seeking ◽

Axis I ◽

Explanatory Flexibility

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Rumination, distraction and mindful self-focus: effects on mood, dysfunctional attitudes and cortisol stress response

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291708003553 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 39 (2) ◽

pp. 219-228 ◽

Cited By ~ 67

Author(s):

C. Kuehner ◽

S. Huffziger ◽

K. Liebsch

Keyword(s):

Stress Response ◽

Cognitive Processing ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Mood Induction ◽

Negative Mood ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Dysfunctional Attitudes ◽

Dysfunctional Cognitions ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Cortisol Responses

BackgroundAlthough aggravating effects of rumination on dysfunctional cognitions and endocrine stress responses have been proposed, experimental studies testing these assumptions are lacking. In parallel, mindfulness theory suggests beneficial effects of mindfulness on dysfunctional cognitions. This study aimed to investigate the effects of induced rumination, distraction and mindful self-focus on mood and dysfunctional attitudes and to assess the possible impact of induced rumination on participants' cortisol responses.MethodSixty university students were subjected to negative mood induction and subsequently randomly assigned to a rumination, distraction or mindful self-focus condition. The latter included statements focusing on self-acceptance and awareness of the breath. Four saliva cortisol samples were selected during the session.ResultsCompared to induced rumination, distraction showed a clear beneficial effect on the course of dysphoric mood, whereas a mindful self-focus did not. In contrast to distraction and mindful self-focus, participants induced to ruminate showed significant increases in dysfunctional attitudes from baseline to post-induction. Although rumination was not itself linked to higher cortisol responses, participants scoring high on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)-II who were induced to ruminate showed a smaller decrease in cortisol levels than those scoring low on the BDI-II.ConclusionsThis study indicates that rumination as a dysfunctional mode of cognitive processing is able to maintain depression-linked dysfunctional thought content. Furthermore, our study revealed preliminary indications for a link between induced rumination and the cortisol stress response in vulnerable individuals.

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Effect of neuroticism, response style and information processing on depression severity in a clinically depressed sample

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291702007304 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 469-479 ◽

Cited By ~ 70

Author(s):

D. LAM ◽

N. SMITH ◽

S. CHECKLEY ◽

F. RIJSDIJK ◽

P. SHAM

Keyword(s):

Negative Mood ◽

Model Fitting ◽

Severe Depression ◽

Principal Component ◽

Response Style ◽

Dysfunctional Attitudes ◽

Clinical Population ◽

Dysfunctional Beliefs ◽

Self Blame ◽

Clinically Depressed

Background. It is postulated that individuals who score high on neuroticism would ruminate when faced with stress. A ruminative response style to depression is associated with faulty attribution and higher dysfunctional beliefs, which in turn is associated with a higher level of depression and hopelessness. Distraction is associated with less severe depression. Evidence supporting these hypotheses mainly comes from a non-clinical population. Hence it is not clear if these theories apply to clinical depression.Method. One hundred and nine out-patients suffering from unipolar major depressive disorder were recruited to test these theories, using model-fitting analysis technique.Results. Certain rumination responses to depression were associated with higher levels of depression and hopelessness, faulty attribution and dysfunctional attitudes when gender and the level of depression were controlled. Principal component analysis of the Rumination Scale yielded four factors: ‘symptom-based rumination’, ‘isolation/introspection’, ‘self-blame’ and ‘analyse to understand’. Unlike the other factors, ‘analyse to understand’ did not correlate with the level of depression. Model fitting analysis, though not reflecting entirely the true model, captures most of the hypothesized relationships between important variables. Neuroticism was associated with stress. Rumination was associated with an increased level of dysfunctional beliefs and faulty attribution, which in turn was associated with increased severity of depression. Distraction, in contrast, was associated with lower levels of negative mood.Conclusion. The results of our study support the importance of teaching depressed patients to manage their depressive symptoms by avoiding rumination about their symptoms and engaging in distracting and pleasurable activities.

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A Musical Mood Induction Alleviates Dysfunctional Attitudes in Needy and Self-Critical Individuals

Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy ◽

10.1891/088983907782638725 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 295-309 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Myriam Mongrain ◽

John Trambakoulos

Keyword(s):

Mood Induction ◽

Mood State ◽

Negative Mood ◽

Positive Mood ◽

Dysfunctional Attitudes ◽

Dysfunctional Beliefs ◽

Induction Procedure ◽

Musical Mood Induction ◽

Depressive Vulnerability ◽

Mood Induction Procedure

The “mood-state hypothesis” (Miranda & Persons, 1988) suggests that dysfunctional beliefs are latent in individuals vulnerable to depression until activated by a negative mood. The purpose of the current study was twofold: (a) to validate a new musical mood induction procedure and (b) to test the cognitive reactivity (or changes in the endorsement of dysfunctional beliefs) in individuals hypothesized to be vulnerable to depression (Blatt, Zohar, Quinlan, Zuroff, & Mongrain, 1995). The mood induction procedure was found to be highly effective for both the positive and the negative conditions. Needy and self-critical participants reported increases in the endorsement of dysfunctional attitudes with the depressing music. With the elating music, needy and self-critical participants experiencing an increase in happiness reported lower levels of dysfunctional attitudes. The findings support state-trait models of depressive vulnerability (Zuroff, Blatt, Sanislow, & Bondi, 1999) and further illustrate how positive mood states can ameliorate the report of maladaptive thoughts.

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Reliabilität und Validität der deutschsprachigen Version der Generalized Expectancies for Negative Mood Regulation (NMR) Scale

Diagnostica ◽

10.1026/0012-1924.54.1.43 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 54 (1) ◽

pp. 43-51 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Matthias Backenstrass ◽

Nils Pfeiffer ◽

Thomas Schwarz ◽

Salvatore J. Catanzaro ◽

Jack Mearns

Keyword(s):

Locus Of Control ◽

Big Five ◽

Negative Mood ◽

Mood Regulation ◽

Reliabilität Und Validität ◽

Negative Mood Regulation ◽

Generalized Expectancies

Zusammenfassung. Generalisierten Erwartungen über die Regulation negativer Stimmungen (im englischen Original: generalized expectancies for negative mood regulation; NMR) wird in Bezug auf die Affektregulation große Bedeutung beigemessen. Catanzaro und Mearns (1990) hatten zur Messung dieser Erwartungen einen Fragebogen mit 30 Items konstruiert (NMR Scale). An mehreren Stichproben konnten sie die psychometrische Güte der NMR Scale bestätigen. Die vorliegende Studie untersuchte mit einer Stichprobe von N = 474 Personen die Reliabilität und Validität der deutschen Form der NMR Scale. Die Gesamtskala wies ein Cronbachs Alpha von .84 und eine Retest-Reliabilität von .88 über ein Zeitintervall von 4 Wochen auf. Eine explorative Faktorenanalyse legte eine eindimensionale Struktur des Itempools nahe. Bedeutsame Zusammenhänge zum Geschlecht oder Alter der Probanden ergaben sich nicht. Die NMR Skala korrelierte signifikant mit Maßen des affektiven und insbesondere depressiven Befindens (PANAS und BDI), was im Einklang mit den theoretischen Annahmen stand. Weiterhin ergaben sich bedeutsame Zusammenhänge der NMR Skala mit locus-of-control Variablen (FKK) und den “Big Five“ (NEO-FFI). Die Ergebnisse replizierten somit die Resultate, die mit der Originalversion ermittelt worden waren, so dass auch bei der deutschen Adaptation der NMR Scale von einem reliablen und validen Instrument auszugehen ist.

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Weekly Exercise Consistently Reinstates Positive Mood

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040.3.4.271 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. 271-280 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Hannah Steinberg ◽

Briony R. Nicholls ◽

Elizabeth A. Sykes ◽

N. LeBoutillier ◽

Nerina Ramlakhan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Exercise ◽

Negative Mood ◽

Real Life ◽

Positive Mood ◽

Field Investigation ◽

Single Bout ◽

Before And After ◽

Exercise Class ◽

Negative Feelings ◽

Over Time

Mood improvement immediately after a single bout of exercise is well documented, but less is known about successive and longer term effects. In a “real-life” field investigation, four kinds of exercise class (Beginners, Advanced, Body Funk and Callanetics) met once a week for up to 7 weeks. Before and after each class the members assessed how they felt by completing a questionnaire listing equal numbers of “positive” and “negative” mood words. Subjects who had attended at least five times were included in the analysis, which led to groups consisting of 18, 20, 16, and 16 subjects, respectively. All four kinds of exercise significantly increased positive and decreased negative feelings, and this result was surprisingly consistent in successive weeks. However, exercise seemed to have a much greater effect on positive than on negative moods. The favorable moods induced by each class seemed to have worn off by the following week, to be reinstated by the class itself. In the Callanetics class, positive mood also improved significantly over time. The Callanetics class involved “slower,” more demanding exercises, not always done to music. The Callanetics and Advanced classes also showed significantly greater preexercise negative moods in the first three sessions. However, these differences disappeared following exercise. Possibly, these two groups had become more “tolerant” to the mood-enhancing effects of physical exercise; this may be in part have been due to “exercise addiction.”

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